Outsert applying apparatus



OUTSERT APPLYING APPARATUS Filed March 29, 1960 *2? E I: INVENTORSROBERT ALA/v BARR m CHARLES J. WAEGHTER/ United rates This inventionrelates to apparatus for automatically applying outserts to a webrunning at high speed and correlating each outsert to one of a number ofequal printed page areas on the web and more particularly to apparatusin which the outserts are preprinted on a strip having a transverselyweakened line between each two outserts for easy severance beforeattachment.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide novel andimproved apparatus for applying outserts at predetermined locations ontoa web travelling at high speed.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provideapparatus for handling outserts printed on a continuous strip andconnected by lines of weakness whereby they may be continuously fed at aslower linear speed than the web by interfitment with a driven roll,supplied with a stripe of adhesive while on the roll, and delivered overa guide path to the nip between a resilient and a suction roll whichlatter has the higher linear web speed to thereby sever the outsertssuccessively along said lines and deliver them one to each desiredposition on the web for adhesion thereto.

Another important object of the invention comprises the provision ofmeans interposed in the drive for said driven roll whereby its standardlower linear speed than the suction roll may be temporarily changed toadjust the position of each outsert longitudinally of the web for phaseadjustment in respect to repetitive areas thereon.

Still another important object of the invention resides in the use of acrown roll so positioned in the guide path between the driven roll andthe suction roll as to impart transverse curvature to the outsert stripnear a line of weakness when the strip leading edge is engaged by thenip of the resilient and suction rolls to facilitate severance of theleading outsert for delivery by the suction roll to the web.

A further important object of the invention resides in the positivedrive of the suction-roll from the press and the use of a clutch in thedrive for a differential which provides for the phase adjustment,whereby when the clutch is released the outsert apparatus may beseparately driven by the motor used to supply the phasing adjustmentthus facilitating the threading of the outsert apparatus.

Other and further objects and specific features of the invention will bemore apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing wherein isdisclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention with theunderstanding that such changes and modifications may be made therein asfall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of the invention.

In said drawing:

The single figure is a schematic and diagrammatic side elevational viewof a portion of a newsprint or similar press and the outsert applyingappratus of the present invention.

It is often desired by the publishers of newspapers, magazines,periodicals, catalogues, circulars, and the like to apply what may betermed an outsert to the outer sheet or cover of each publication forthe purpose of directing the attention of the most apathetic reader tosome particular advertising, special subscription offer, gift coupon, orthe like, publicizing some product in a atent more attention-attractingmanner, or to offer order blanks, samples of certain products, orprovide other similar attachments which may be readily removed and usedor sent in to the publisher or advertiser for premiums, special saleoffers and other purposes. The web itself may be unprinted forsubsequent use as a wrapper, insert, stufler or the like.

Such outserts have heretofore been applied by hand or by semi-automaticmachinery and usually after each copy of the newspaper, magazine orperiodical has been completed. In accordance with the present inventionthe operation is wholly automatic and the outserts are applied at theproper position to successive or alternate printed areas of pagedesignation on a continuous web running at high speed prior to cuttingit into the final sheet sizes. The present device is capable of applyingas many as 10 outserts per second and easily maintains a production rateof 6 per second which is from 2 to 2 /2 times faster than any machineavailable commercially.

For illustrative purposes only the invention is shown as applied to thefolder section of a newsprint press designated generally by thereference character 10 and disclosing a printed web 12 approaching fromthe right passing over an idler roll 13 and then over a folderformer 14which is generally triangular in shape tapering toward the bottom tofold the web into overlying half widths as indicated at 15 where it isdelivered to folder rolls 16 appropriately driven, by means not shown,from the press and fed to cutting and assembling mechanism ofconventional form.

The web indicated by the reference character 12 may be single ormultiple, either of which arrangements is more or less conventional innewsprint presses.

Mounted for co-operation with the upper web surface as it runs over thefolder 14 is the suction-roll or outsert applicator 20 supported onshaft 21 a suitable distance from the folder-former, or any othersurface over which the web may be running, to accommodate the maximumnumber of plies which may be assembled at any one time. Actually noformer, support or folder is necessary and the web may merely passunsupported from idler 13 to another, not shown, and between them overthe surface of the suction-roll where it may have a more substantial arcof contact, if desired, rather than'the line contact resulting from thetangency indicated.

As shown at the lower portion of the folder mechanism, the outsert 24 ispreferably a rectangle of any suitable paper or similar web materialpreprinted to contain the desired information and secured at anyappropriate position on the travelling web 12, preferably near its leftor fold edge 25 and near the upper edge 26 of what will be the outerpage or cover which is indicated between dotted lines 26 and 27.Preferably the outsert is attached by a narrow stripe of adhesive alongits left edge which is secured to the margin of the printed web so thatdetachment is facilitated without destroying any of the printing on themain page or the outsert. On the other hand, where the printing linesare arranged longitudinally of the web rather than across in the moreconventional manner, as for instance in tabloid newspapers or magazinesthe outsert apparatus is adjusted to apply the adhesive to theappropriate area on the outsert to achieve proper mounting thereof.

During the operation of the outsert applying apparatus it is desired tomaintain phasing of the outsert and the page areas on the printed web 12and for the purpose the outsert machine is driven by and at a particularspeed in relationship to that of the press and indicated at 28 is achain or other appropriate power driving means associated with asprocket on suction-roll 20 for the purpose, the arrangement being suchthat the suction-roll is always driven at press speed and from the pressas long as the discussed later.

latter is in motion. Press-speed in this case means that the peripheralspeed is that of the travelling web.

The outserts 24 are preprinted on a continuous strip or web of materialwhich is perforated transversely to permit severance into desiredoutsert lengths and is then --e1ther folded back and forth on theperforation lines, as

seen at 39, and formed into a stack of appropriate height for convenienthandling, or formed into a suitable roll for use. Two such stacks areshown at 32 and 33 supported from platforms 34 vertically adjustablealong or between a pair of spaced standards 35 supported from the flooras shown. The platforms 34 and their vertical corner extensions 36 aremounted on opposite sides of the guides 35 'and simultaneouslyadjustable in opposite directions by mechanism 37 at the top of theguides so that either may be brought to'the position of the uppermostone indicated.

ln-starting a days run or an edition the lowermost platform 34' (hereshown as the left one) is first loaded .witha stack of printedalternately folded outserts in the web form, one is drawn between thestandards 35 and -positinedon the right-hand platform and there adheredto the lowest one in the stack which is now mounted or positioned on theupper platform so that continuous feeding'may be had from both platformssuccessively. As soon as the upper one becomes empty it is lowered whilethe one still filled'is lifted. The lowered one is then charged with astack of folded outserts and the leading one secured to the lowest inthe stack on the other side "and this practice is continued alternatelyas the piles are depleted.

The outserts are withdrawn from the uppermost stack 'over the surface ofguide plate 38 having the curved lower end to facilitate unfolding andpassed beneath retarding brush 49, about idler roll 41 and then betweencurved retarding brush 43 and the surface of pin roll 44. This is apieceof standard equipment fitted with radially slidable pins 45 spacedcircumferentially about one edge of the roll at appropriate intervals tobe received in the perforations 43 shown adjacent the left edge of theoutsert sheet 24 on the web in the folder-rolls.

Mechanism, of known form, projects the pins outwardly beyond the surfaceof pin roll 44 and retracts them contacted by the web of outsertstravelling over it from the contact beyondthe idler roll 41 to theseparation point near the zenith of the roll as viewed in the figure.

When the outsert web is properly started so that the pins pass throughthe apertures 48 in the web edge, the

web is thereafter continuously driven and withdrawn from its stack andpasses over the pin roll 44 without any relative slippage so that it canbe fed to the suction-roll in proper timed relationship as desired andas will be further The brush 4.3 which is sufliciently narrow'to avoidthe openings 48, ensures holding the web down while the pinsare movingin and out of the openings and prevents it from being lifted from theroll should there be any slight inaccuracies so that the pins rub on theedgesof the apertures in the web.

Just before the web leaves the pin roll 44, against which it ispositioned face or printed side down, a stripe of adhesive is appliedbetween the line of pin holes and the adjacent edge by means of thestationary adhesive distributor nozzle 50. Almost immediately thereafterthe web of outserts leaves the surface of pin roll'44, passes beneathcrown roll 51 which is grooved to clear the adhesive, travels overbridge 52 extending between the pin roll and the suction-roll 2% andpasses into the nip between suction-roll 2t and rubber roll 54 driventhereby. The latter is also grooved to clear the adhesive.

The linear speed of the web of outserts effective from its contact withthe pin roll 44 is substantially less than the linear speed of thesurface of suction-roll 23 since each outsert is shorter than the pageto which it is applied. When the leading end of the outsert web comesunder the control of faster running suction-roll 29 at its nip withrubber roll 54 the web above the bridge 52 is stretched in endeavoringto increase its speed to accommodate that of the suction-roll. Thedistance between lines of perforation which designate the individualoutserts 24 is only slightly less than the distance between the nip ofrolls Zil and 54 and the surface of crown roll 51. This latter roll issubstantially crowned at its center and hence the tension due to thedisparity in speeds of the two ends of the portion of the web passingover the bridge 52 increases first in the longitudinal center of the webthus causing the perforation to break in the vicinity of the crown roll.The break starts in the center and the tears extend rapidly laterally tothe edges, severing the leading outsert which is already rasped by thestationary suction area of roll 2% as is indicated in cross-hatching andby the reference character 55. Thesucceeding outsert is still gripped bya few pins on roll 44 so as to prevent severance taking place at itstrailing edge.

The severed outsert immediately draws away from the now leading end ofthe web by reason of the preponderance of speed of the suction-roll andthe separated outsert is carried along at the speed of web 12 by thesuction-roll, held closely against its surface by the action of thesuction through its perforations. Such an outsert is shown at 24 1 beingcarried along by the suction-roll whose vacuum ensures againstseparation of the outsert until its leading edge engages the web 15,when it is progressively released as it leaves the stationary suctionarea of roll 20 which terminates substantially at the line of tangencyof web and suction roll.

One longitudinal edge of the outsert is coated with -a stripe ofadhesive, which is preferably of the temperaand the folder-former maynot be sufficiently close to effect adequate pressure to ensure goodadhesion between the outsert on the web 12 and, therefore, a slot 58 isprovided in the former-folder (if one is used as a base) in line-withthe stripe of adhesive on the outsert and the pressure roll 60 forcesthe newsprint web, irrespective of the number of plies thereof, againstthe undersurface of the advancing outsert and rolls down the adhesiveensuring adequate contact and adherence. This roll is shown pivoted at62 to one or two arms 63 fulcrumed at 64- to a portion of the frame ofthe machine and forced down by an adjustable helical spring 65L Thisspring surrounds rod 66 secured to' the undersurface of the formerplate, and extending through a perforated stud on the opposite end ofarm 63, against which stud the end of spring 65 bears, a nut 67 beingprovided to adjust the spring compression.

The frame structure for the apparatus has not been illustrated except inisolated spots, but it may be pointed out that the brush 4%} and idlerroll 41, first contacting the outsert web as it is drawn from the stack,are carried on a plate 70 pivoted at 71 to a frame part, whereby theymay be swung simultaneously to facilitate threading the machine. In asimilar manner the brush 43 may be swung awayfrom the pin roll tofacilitate threading and is pivoted at 72 to a pivoted arm, not shown.

The adhesive applicator '74, may be of most any recognized type, such asone handling liquid adhesive including a solvent or any other of thesuitable adhesives, but actually the apparatus shown makes use of aheat-softened adhesive in rope or cord form 76. A reel 75 holds a supplyof adhesive which is fed through the machine by suitable grippingrollers driven by pulley 73 and eventually passes adjacent heatedsurfaces which melt it so that it is ejected in liquid form from nozzle50 onto the edge of the outsert strip in the desired quantity determinedby rate of rope feed. It could with equal facility be applied by a wheelas a continuous stripe or even dotted if desired. At 77 are shownconductors leading from a solenoid valve capable of shutting off flow ofthe liquefied adhesive in case the outsert apparatus is stopped.

In order to prevent the application of adhesive to the pin roll in theevent that no outsert strip is being fed, roll 44 is provided, at aposition displaced laterally from the adhesive stripe, with a groove anda safety detecting arm 80 is pressed against the web covering the grooveso that in the advent of a breakage of the web or a failure to feed it,the arm 80 will move down into the groove and close switch 81 whichshuts the adhesive valve and at the same time energizes coil 83 whichreleases clutch 84 and stops the drive of the outsert apparatus.

Suction-roll 20 is driven by any suitable mechanical drive such aschains 28 from the printing press and a separate sprocket on the shaftof this roll drives chain 85 running over sprocket 86 on the input sideof clutch 84. The output side of the clutch, by means of chain 87,drives pulley 88 on a shaft projecting from the rear face ofdifferential housing 89. A separate shaft extending from the front facedrives sprocket 90 which through chain 91 drives sprocket 92 and itscompanion sprocket 93 over which a chain 94 passes that drives sprocket95 of the adhesive feeder and from thence passes around a large sprocket96 on the pin roll, thence over small sprocket 97 on the crown roll andback to sprocket 93.

By appropriately sizing the sprockets the surface speed of the pin rolland the crown roll can be adjusted to be such as to supply one outsertfor each page on web 12 and hence lower than the surface speed of thesuction-roll to effect the breakage of the outserts from their strip ina manner explained previously because of speed disparity.

The clutch 84 serves the purpose of permitting the outsert applyingapparatus, except for the suction-roll to be disconnected from the powerif for any reason it is not required or needs attention. It also permitsthe outsert feed apparatus to be stopped or started regardless of pressspeed, thus permitting the placing or elimination of outserts from anygiven number of printed page areas or even editions. By waiting for thepress to attain running register and stability before starting theoutsert machine no waste of high revenue producing outserts occurs.

If when starting up afresh an outsert strip is manually positioned ontothe pin roll and if outserts are found to be presented to the printedpages on web '12 in wrong positions, the phasing may be corrected bymomentarily driving electric motor 1% either forwardly or backwardly bypushing one of buttons 103 as required, and this through chain 101drives sprocket 102 so associated with the differential mechanism as toadd to or subtract from the speed of the differential output shaftsprocket 90 during the time that motor 100 is being driven. Thus byjudicious use of the switch buttons the operator can properly phase theoutserts on the printed sheets, for instance of the newsprint web, andafter they are once properly positioned the phasing will remain constantuntil the outsert web is broken and/or re-started,

With clutch 84 disengaged the nature of the difierential drive 89 issuch that the motor 100 may be used to drive the outsert apparatus tofacilitate threading the outsert web, testing the adhesive applicator,etc.

The arrangement for driving the outsert apparatus must be adjusted tooperate at such a speed that one outsert is fed each time a web sheetarea which requires the outsert attachment passes the applicationposition, and by appropriate adjustment of sprocket diametersarrangement can be made to adhere an outsert to every sheet on theprinted web, to every sheet or in any specific arrangement desired.

The suction-roll is shown as provided with an appropriate doctor blade105 positioned to remove from the surface thereof any outsert which hasfailed to become adherent to the travelling newsprint web and also toremove any adhesive material which may have accidentally coated itssurface.

In a similar manner a doctor blade 106 co-operates with an inactive areaof pin roll 44 to remove any adhesive which is inadvertently appliedthereto in the absence of a web on the roll.

It has already been pointed out how the outserts are phased or adjustedto the desired positions longituditudinally of the running web. Iflateral adjustment is desired to achieve specific placement of theoutserts and/ or side shift is required to compensate for wander of theweb on the press rolls then the mountings for the pin-wheel and feedsections of the outsert machine may be provided with manual or automaticlateral shifting mechanism to maintain correct side register on the web,and/ or to achieve outsert mounting intermediate the edges of the web orsubstrate.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for applying outserts at uniformly spacedapart locations toa web of paper travelling at a high uniform speed from a web treatingmachine, comprising in combination, an applicator roll mounted forrotation and driven at the speed of and in constant angular contact withsaid web, a resilient roll rotating and providing a nip with saidapplicator roll angularly spaced ahead of said web contact, means forsupporting a supply of a continuous strip of lightly connected printedoutsert areas of uniform length having a line of equally spacedperforations along one edge of the strip, a wheel having pins projectingfrom its periphery to engage in said perforations to advance said strip,means to drive said wheel from said machine at a fixed lesser peripheralspeed than said web, means to apply a continuous narrow stripe of tackyadhesive to said strip as it moves over said wheel, means to guide saidstrip from said wheel to said nip on said applicator roll and of alength greater than the length of an outsert, a breaker roll engagingsaid strip at a distance not substantially greater than an outsertlength from said nip and less than that length from pin engagement withthe next outsert on said strip, said breaker roll being of circularcross-section but having portions of different diameters to stress thestrip non-uniformly of its width to thereby start a tear at the weakenedarea nearest to said breaker roll at the beginning of leading outsertspeed increase under the action of said nip, said applicator roll beingperforated throughout its circumference, and means to apply a suction tosaid applicator roll in only the partial circumferential area extendingsubstantially between said nip and the beginning of said web contact tothereby carry severed outserts into engagement with said web foradhesion thereto.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 in which the said web containssuccessively defined areas of sheet size larger than an outsert, andmeans interposed in said means driving said pin wheel from said machinefor temporarily superimposing an incremental speed change on the pinwheel driving means to change the phasing of the outserts on the sheetareas.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said interposed means isarranged to drive the pin wheel independently of the web treatingmachine for initial set-up purposes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which a spring pressed wheel engages therear face of said web directly beneath the said adhesive stripe on theoutsert being applied thereto and forces the web and outsert against theapplicator roll to squeeze the web and outsert together along saidadhesive stripe independently of any other support for the web.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which a doctor blade engages saidapplicator roll as it leaves said spring pressed wheel to separate anyoutsert therefrom resulting from a faulty lack of web moving over saidapplicator roll.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said pin roll is groovedcircumferentially in an area engaged by said strip but out of the pathof the adhesive, detector means riding the strip above said groove todetermine strip absence, and means actuated by movement of the detectormeans into the groove to stop the delivery of adhesive.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the applicator roll is alwaysdriven from and at the linear speed of the web treating machine, saidinterposed means comprising a diiferential gearing driven by said pressand having an output and a secondary input, connecting said output tosaid means pin wheel to drive the strip at said less speed than the web,and a motor connected to said secondary input to temporarily increase ordecrease the relative speed of the strip in relation to the speed of theweb for phasing purposes.

8, The apparatus of claim 7 in which a clutch is interposed between saidpress and said differential gearing whereby the outsert strip may bethreaded and advanced to the applicator roll by driving the difierentialby said motor without driving the web treating machine.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said breaker roll for the adhesivedstrip is positioned for the strip to pass under it and a crown rollerspaced at distance not substantially greater than an outsert length fromthe position where the strip engages the applicator roll whereby thestrip is transversely bowed adjacent its weakened location not more thanone outsert length prior to nip engagement by the leading edge of thestrip to facilitate severance.

10. Apparatus for applying outserts at uniformly spaced locations to aweb of paper having successive equal printed page areas spacedtherealong and travelling at a high uniform speed through a web treatingpress, comprising in combination, a suction roll mounted for rotation atthe speed of and in small constant angular contact with said web, aresilient roll rotating and providing 8. a nip with the suction rollremote from said web contact, a continuous strip of material havinguniformly spaced transversely weakened lines defining lightly connectedprinted outsert areas of less length than said page areas, said striphaving a line of perforations along one edge thereof, a conventionaldriving pin wheel for said strip, storage means for said strip, meansguiding said strip from said storage means to said pin wheel includingbraking means, means to eject a stripe of adhesive onto one edge of saidstrip as it moves over said pin wheel, guide means for said stripbetween the pin wheel and suction roll and including a crown rollerengaging the strip at a distance not substantially greater than anoutsert length from said nip and less than that length from pinengagement with the next outsert on said strip, differential meansdriving said pin Wheel and crown roller at the same peripheral speedsbut less than the peripheral speed of said suction roll, a drivingconnection between saiddifierential and said press and including aclutch, and a motor arranged to drive said difierential to increase ordecrease the difference in linear speeds between the suction roll andpin wheel to change the position of the application of each outsert to apage area on the'web under the delivery action of said suction roll.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the difierence in peripheralspeeds of the suction roll and pin wheel effects tearing of the strip atthe weakened area near contact with the crown roller, a resilientpressure roll not substantially wider than said adhesive stripe, andmeans mounting said roll for resilient contact with the undersurface ofthe web where it engages the suction roll and along the line of saidstripe to cause adhesion of the outsert to the web;

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,431,456 Cox Oct. 10, 1922 1,856,659 Sanfanander -t. May 3, 19322,062,280 Aanesen et al. Dec. 1, 1936 2,209,765 Cormack July 30, 19402,363,417 Heywood Nov. 21, 1944 2,678,748 McCain et al. May 18, 19542,723,604 Fischer Nov, 15, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATEOF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,083,009 March 26, 1963 Robert A. Barr et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below Column 1, line 64, for "appratus" read apparatus column6, line 2, after "every" insert other column 7, line 17, before"connecting" insert means line 18,

st rike out "means".

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of December 1963.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWIN L. REYNOLDS ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer AC ti n9Commissioner of Patents

1. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING OUTSERTS AT UNIFORMLY SPACEDAPART LOCATIONS TOA WEB OF PAPER TRAVELLING AT A HIGH UNIFORM SPEED FROM A WEB TREATINGMACHINE, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN APPLICATOR ROLL MOUNTED FORROTATION AND DRIVEN AT THE SPEED OF AND IN CONSTANT ANGULAR CONTACT WITHSAID WEB, A RESILIENT ROLL ROTATING AND PROVIDING A NIP WITH SAIDAPPLICATOR ROLL ANGULARLY SPACED AHEAD OF SAID WEB CONTACT, MEANS FORSUPPORTING A SUPPLY OF A CONTINUOUS STRIP OF LIGHTLY CONNECTED PRINTEDOUTSERT AREAS OF UNIFORM LENGTH HAVING A LINE OF EQUALLY SPACEDPERFORATIONS ALONG ONE EDGE OF THE STRIP, A WHEEL HAVING PINS PROJECTINGFROM ITS PERIPHERY TO ENGAGE IN SAID PERFORATIONS TO ADVANCE SAID STRIP,MEANS TO DRIVE SAID WHEEL FROM SAID MACHINE AT A FIXED LESSER PERIPHERALSPEED THAN SAID WEB, MEANS TO APPLY A CONTINUOUS NARROW STRIPE OF TACKYADHESIVE TO SAID STRIP AS IT MOVES OVER SAID WHEEL, MEANS TO GUIDE SAIDSTRIP FROM SAID WHEEL TO SAID NIP ON